scienceBtechnology
. February 10, 2()()()
THE BATTALION
Page 7
BRIAN SMITH
ridan Scott enj
Science Briefs
lew E. coli treatment
(AP) — Researchers said they have
■oved a step closer to developing what
could be the first drug to save the lives of
victims of an especially dangerous strain of
E, coli.
I Infections from a strain called 0157:H7
kill 250 people in the United States each
year, many of them children 5 and under.
■ The bacteria produce a poison that
forks its way into the bloodstream and
mages the kidneys.
Researchers at the University of Alberta
Canada have created a new “inhibitor”: a
five-limbed molecule armed with 10 grip-
rs that are designed to grab the toxins
d escort them out of the body. Its de-
gners call it “Starfish."
In test-tube experiments, Starfish ap-
bars to be far more effective than the oth-
inhibitors undergoing testing. If it works
humans, it would be a big step.
There are no vaccines or inhibitors for E.
li infections on the market, and doctors
lay there is not much they can do to treat
the related kidney disorder besides giving
latients dialysis and blood transfusions.
I The researchers said Starfish shows
Iromise, but they are still testing its effec-
|veness in humans.
I The study was published in Thursday’s
issue of the journal Nature.
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Do pheromones really work in humans?
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ASA launch planned
CAPE CANAVERAL. Fla. (AP) — For the
*p r c |nnk j|f|rsttime in days, NASA had good news on
3 uu ||§ie space shuttle front: Endeavour is free
dl miscond 1 0 P rot:)lems heading into Friday's launch
""■ttempt and the weather looks good.
ERELD, Texas(AP -« “I’m encouraged — the sun is shining,"
mgers are invest® Putt I e program manager Ron Dittemore
b County Sheriff's isaid Wednesday. "It looks like it’s clear
Iskies and, hopefully, if the weather is good
j to us, we'll have a good launch."
I I With high wind the only concern and a
femall one at that, Endeavour is scheduled
[o blast off at 12:30 p.m. Friday on an
flEarth-mapping mission that has been de
cayed five months by damaged wiring and
pother shuttle trouble.
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BY ERIN LOOS
Special to The Battalion
The most prevalent aroma in
Northgate on Valentine’s Day might
be beer, but when it comes to attract
ing the opposite sex, some researchers
suggest that chemicals in another per
son's sweat might cause more of a
sexual obsession, than say. Obsession.
Some perfume marketers claim
pheromones, a group of odorless
chemical messengers, are the newest
strategy for women and men to attract
members of the opposite sex.
Cosmetic and fragrance compa
nies, including Avon, Philosophy and
others, have recently begun selling
pheromone-based perfumes, colognes
and body lotions at prices that may
seem shocking.
For instance, a synthetic
pheromone “falling in love” from Phi
losophy costs $60 for a 4 milliliter vial.
However, overconfident casanovas
could be spending their money on^
products that have no effect whatso
ever on the opposite sex.
“These products may attract the
opposite sex because chemicals in
them stimulate our olfactory sys
tem. But there is no compelling
scientific evidence that
pheromones are at work,” said Dr.
W.R. Klemm, Texas A&M profes
sor of veterinary medicine.
Although scientists agree that
many members of the animal king
dom, including moths and mice,
communicate with pheromones,
there is still debate over whether hu
man pheromones exist and whether
we have the ability to detect them.
Other animals possess a tiny
group of nerve cells, the vomeronasal
organ (VNO), that allows them to de
tect pheromones.
More than a century ago, scientists
located small pits inside human nos
trils that could be a VNO, but there is
still question as to whether it works.
“No one has demonstrated a func
tioning VNO system in humans,”
Klemm said. “Nobody has discovered
human pheromones, either.”
I lowever, recent research has sug
gested that our bodies secrete chemi
cals, possibly pheromones, that seem
to influence the behavior of others.
For example, female roommates or
friends often menstruate at the same
time due to an unknown substance in
their underarm perspiration.
Could these same chemicals be
sending mating signals as well?
In 1995, Swiss zoologist Claus
Wedekind conducted an experiment to
determine if women were more at
tracted to men w'ith a specific scent.
Wedekind's study was based on the
theory that two people usually smell
'Wo one has
demonstrated a
functioning VNO
system in hu
mans”
— Dr. W.R. Klemm
vet professor
best to each other when their geneti
cally-based immunity to disease dif
fers most.
The genes that determine immuni
ty are called major histocompatibility
complex (Ml 1C) genes. MHC genes
produce chemicals that help the body
detect and destroy foreign cells.
If two people with dissimilar
MHC gene profiles mate, there is
a greater possibility of produc
ing stronger, healthier off
spring.
Wedekind instructed 44
men to wear the same T-shirt
for two nights in a row.
The men were also given \
odorless soap and aftershave 1
lotion that would not dis
guise their natural odor.
Vomeronasal
to Hypothalmus
Reported Increase
in Sexual Intercourse
Wedekind
then put the T-
shirts in plain
boxes and
asked 49 S
women g
to sniff V
the shirts \
and record
their reactions.
Women preferred the
scent of t-shirts that were
worn by men with a dissimi
lar MHC.
Another experiment, con
ducted in 1998 oy Dr. Winifred
Cutler of the Athena Institute,
tested whether a compound con
sidered to be a human male
pheromone increased sexual behav
ior in men. Seventy-four percent of
the men who wore the pheromone
reported an increase in hugging,
kissing and sexual intercourse.
If human pheromones do ex
ist, researchers may try to de
termine how they can be used in fer
tility treatments and dieting aids.
And, sweethearts seducing with
chocolate or flowers on Valentine’s
Day might want to be aware that a
passionate love affair may be right
under their nose.
Vdmeronasal Organ
W, (VNO)
.
ROBERT HYNECEK/Thk BATTALION
(Above)
Scientists located small pits inside human nostrils that
could be VNOs, but there is still question as to whether they
work. According to one study by the Athena Institute,
pheromones directly increased sexual activity.
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